Water vaporizer for internal-combustion engines



Patented Oct. 1, 1929 i p I '4 UNITED STATES PATE'N-TOFFIICE onAL mmucx Am) enovnn' w. nrn'ron, or nanvinrnfinmnors, Assronons, Bx DIRECT AND mnsnnnssronmnnrs, To run DYNAMIC runnznn. COMPANY, A coaroaa'rron or new JERSEY I I WATER VAPORIZEB FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTIOH ENGINES Application filed December 16, 1927. Serial No. 240,471. This invention relates to Vaporizers ,for through an exteriorly screw-threaded boss internal combustion engines, and particular- 17. A valve 18 is mounted at the inner end ly to means for vaporizing water taken from of this duct 16 and this valve is connected the water jacket of an internal combustion by a longitudinally extending valve rod 19 engine and discharged into the intake manito afloat actuated lever 20 carried by afloat 55 fold. 4 21, this float being disposed in the bottom One of the objects ofthe invention is to proof the chamber or closely adjacent thereto. vide a device of this character which is Extending from the upper portion of the mounted upon the exhaust manifold of the chamber is a port 22 which extends out engine so that the exhaust manifold acts as through an exteriorly screw-threaded boss the means for heating and vaporizing the or nipple 23 which may be connected by a water in the vaporizing chamber. pipe to the intake mani old of the engine. A further object is to provide a thermo- Operating through the upper wall of the statically controlledvalve, the thermostat of chamber and across the port 22 is a valve which is disposed within the vaporizing 24 having a tapered lower end, this valvc c5 chamber, which will expand or contract with when closed being depressed into the valve variations in temperature in the water of the seat 25 formed in the upper wall of the chain chamber, causing the outlet controllingvalve ber below the bore 22. er spring 26 urges to close or open in consonance therewith. the valve to a closed position and! a screw 27 A still further object is to provide means engages thisspring' and has screw-threaded (o whereby air may be introduced into the vaengagement with the wall of the chamber so porizing chamber at a level below the water that as this screw is turned-the tension of therein so that upon the suction stroke of the the spring may be adjusted. i. v engine this air will be drawn up through the Mounted upon a bracket 28 attached to the 4 water so that the air will become heated and wall of the chamber is a thermostat 29 or '75 i the air in turn agitating the water in the other heat responsive element of any suitable bottom of the chamber, causing the water to construction. This heat responsive element be vaporized more rapi ly. 29 has a stem 30 which extends up through Other objects will appear in the course of the seat 25 for valve 24 and bears against 30 the following description. the lower extremity of the valve. It will be Our invention is illustrated in the accomseen, therefore, that as the heat responsive panying drawing, wherein:- element expands, the valve will be forced up Figure 1 is an elevation of an automobile to the position shown in Figure 2 and as the engine with our device applied thereto heat responsive element contracts the valve Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the will move downward toward its seat, thus 5 device; reducing the flow of vapor through the out- Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of 'let duct 22. An air duct or air inlet pipe Figure 2. 31 comes in through the side of the chamber Referring to this drawing, 10 designates adjacent the top thereof and extends 4 the body of the vaporizer, which is made of through to the bottom of the chamber and metal and which is provided with the exinto the water, this pipe or duct terminating teriorly screw-threaded stem 11 at its lower short of the bottom of the chamber. end adapted to be screwed into the exhaust In the operation of this device, the heat manifold of the engine. The stem 11 is exfrom the exhaust and the products of com- 45 teriorly screw-threaded, as at 12. The body bustion in the exhaust pipe-will act to heat 10 is formed in two sections, a lower section the stem 11 and the casing 10 and thus the 13 and an upper section 1 These have a water in the bottom of the chamber will be screw-threaded connection at 15. heated. On each suction stroke of the engine,

The upper end of the body is formed with air is drawn in through the pi e 31 and dis- 50 the water inlet port 16 which extends out charged into the waterin the ottom of the chamberand is drawn upwardthrough this water.' Thus the air becomes heated, the water becomes vaporized, and the water in the bottom of the chamber is agitated, thus vaporizing the water more rapidly. As the heat. of the water increases, the heat in the chamber will increase and this willcause the thermostat 29 to expand, thus opening the valve 24 eventually to its full extent and permitting a greater amount of the hot vapor to pass out through the opening 22. It for any reason the heatreduces, the valve tends to close and this reduces the amount of vapor passing out through the outlet 22.

It will be seen that the expanding element, that is the thermostat 29, is so applied that in starting the cold motor, the steam vaporizer is not in direct connection with the engine and it is only after the engine starts to heat that it causes the temperature controlled element 29 to function to cause the opening of the valve 24 and thus allowing the moist vapor to pass into the intake manifold. When the engine-stops and the engine cools, the thermostat 29' contracts and the valve closes leaving the vaporizer as a separate part of the engine on restarting. This is a condition of operation which is particularly valuable, as thus induced energy is secured when it is most needed and when in use the vaporizer promotes the combustion of the fuel, reduces the gasoline consumption and tends to eliminate carbon. 7 The amount of water in the vaporizer is not dependent upon the action of the thermostat 29 but is entirely controlled by the float 21 operating independently of the thermostat. The amount of vapor taken into the intake manifold is, of course, controlled by the degree of opening of the valve 24 and by the regulation of the tension of spring 26 under the action of the screw 27.

We do not wish to be limited to any particular form of heating element, as this may be varied in many ways without departing 'from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter defined. Neither do we wish to be limited to the exact construction illustrated, as many of the minor details might be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention. Y a.

We claim 1. A water vaporizer for internal combustion engines comprising a body formed to provide an interior chamber, the body having means whereby it'may be heated. a water inlet to the chamber, a float disposed within the chamber and acting to retain the water in the chamber at a constant level, the chamber having an outlet duct, a valve controlling passage through the duct, a thermostat disposed within the chamber and acting to control said valve, and an air duct opening through the chamber and opening below the level of the water within the chamber.

2. A water vaporizer for internal combustion engines comprising a body formed to provide a chamber, the body being formed at.

having a stem engaging the tapered end of the valve, and means urging the valve toward a closed position.

3. A water vaporizer for internal combustion engines comprising a body formed to provide a chamber, the body being formed at .its upper end with a water inlet duct and a vapor outlet duct, a valve controlling the entrance of water through said duct, a float mounted in the lower portion of the chamber and controlling said valve, the lower portion of the-chamber being formed with means whereby the device may be mounted upon an exhaust pipe, a tapered valve mounted in the upper portion of the chamber and movable across said outlet duct, a heat responsive element mounted within the chamber and having a stem engaging the tapered end of the valve means urging the valve toward a closed position, and means whereby the urging means may be regulated, the chamber being provided with an air inlet duct extending into the lower portion of the chamber and opening below the water line thereof.

4. A water vaporizer for internal combustion engines comprising a body formed in an upper and lower section, the body being formed with an interior chamber, the lower section of the body having a tubular stem adapted to be engaged with the exhaust manifold of an engine, the upper portion of the body having a water inlet duct and a vapor outlet duct, a valve for the water inlet duct, a float operatively connected to the valve and disposed in the lower portion of the chamber, a downwardly tapered valve intersecting the vapor outlet duct. a spring urging the valve toward a closed position,

oRAL'NiMRIoK. GROVER .w. HINTON. 

